Pittsburg Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

Existing landfill space for the disposal of municipal solid waste is rapidly diminishing. The California Integrated Solid Waste Management Act, at California Public Resources Code Section 41780, mandates 25 percent landfill diversion by 1995 and 50 percent landfill diversion by the year 2000. The recycling of recyclable refuse will help postpone the need for new landfill capacity, help the city meet its mandatory landfill diversion quotas and also reduce pollution and loss of resources which occurs when perfectly usable materials are discarded.

(Ord. 1019 § 1, 1991; Ord. 21-1489 § 2, 2021)

Failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter shall lead to enforcement actions as stated in this chapter and pursuant to Chapter 8.04 PMC Article V, VI, or VII.

(Ord. 1019 § 1, 1991; Ord. 21-1489 § 2, 2021)

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

A.

"Blue cart waste" or "blue container waste"

means refuse that is appropriate for storage and disposal in the blue cart or container and includes recyclable refuse.

B.

"Curbside recycling program"

means the city's recycling program by which recyclable refuse is picked up from residential premises as defined in PMC § 8.04.030 by the collection contractor as defined in PMC § 8.04.030 without payment of any redemption value to the property owner.

C.

"Paper products"

are free of plastic coatings and include, but are not limited to, paper janitorial supplies, cartons, file folders, hanging files, corrugated boxes, tissue, and toweling, or as otherwise defined in 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(51). These products are suitable only for placement in the blue carts or container cart or container as defined by PMC § 8.09.030. Paper products must be free of any nonorganic materials like staples, paper clips, any metals, plastic windows, and bindings, and any nonpaper material as designated by the city or collection contractor.

D.

"Post-consumer recycled material"

means a finished material which would normally be disposed of as rubbish as defined in PMC § 8.04.030 having completed its life cycle as a consumer item, and which is separated or collected separately from the waste stream and made available for reuse as a raw material.

E.

"Printing and writing papers"

are free of plastic coatings and include, but are not limited to, copy paper, xerographic paper, watermark paper, cotton fiber, offset, forms, computer printout paper, white wove envelopes, manila envelopes, book paper, note pads, writing tablets, newsprint, and other uncoated writing papers, posters, index cards, calendars, brochures, reports, and publications. Printing and writing papers must be free of any nonorganic materials like staples, paper clips, any metals, plastic windows, and bindings, and any nonpaper material as designated by the city or collection contractor.

F.

"Recovery"

means any activity or process described in 14 CCR Section 18983.1(b), or as otherwise defined in 14 CCR Section 18982(a)(49).

G.

"Recycled-content paper"

means paper products and printing and writing paper that consists of at least 30 percent, by fiber weight, postconsumer fiber.

H.

"Recycle" or "recycling"

means the process of separating and collecting used nonorganic materials which would otherwise become solid waste as defined by PMC § 8.04.030, for the purpose of reprocessing them to create new materials to be returned to the economic mainstream.

I.

"Recycling collection facility"

means a center for the acceptance by donation, redemption, or purchase of recyclables from the public and includes the facilities regulated by Chapter 18.84 PMC.

J.

"Recyclable refuse"

means all items designated by the city and collection contractor to be collected within blue carts or containers during curbside collection programs, including, but not limited to, glass, PET plastic, aluminum cans and newspapers, Schedule B prohibited organics as defined in PMC § 8.09.030(Q), cardboard, plastic packaging, bi-metal cans, HDPE bottles, PET bottles, wood, and other items as specified by the city and collection contractor. Disposal of recyclable refuse is appropriate only in the blue cart or container.

K.

"Recyclables"

means all solid waste as defined by PMC § 8.04.030 disposed of for recycling purposes, excluding rubbish as defined by PMC § 8.04.030, Schedule B prohibited waste material as defined by PMC § 8.04.030, and organics as defined in PMC § 8.09.030.

(Ord. 1019 § 1, 1991; Ord. 21-1489 § 2, 2021)